


Don't Turn Away

by grunge_ish



Series: TAZ Songfics [2]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Death, Grim Reapers, Minor Barry Bluejeans/Lup, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:47:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23832607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grunge_ish/pseuds/grunge_ish
Summary: Lup is settling in to her job as a reaper, but it's not always easy. Especially when children are involved.
Series: TAZ Songfics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1716010
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	Don't Turn Away

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on the song Warriors by Imagine Dragons and I'm not gonna lie, it's a little sad.

Lup was looking over the book of bounties when Kravitz appeared next to her, not skull-faced and in a nice suit. "Do you want me to take over because it's date night or is there a ball I was unaware of?" Lup asked in a joking tone.

"If you could, I would appreciate you even more than I already do." Kravitz had such an odd way of speaking, but it had grown on her, she held her hand out.

"Give me the list then. Is it long or do I have some time to go after bounties?" Kravitz sheepishly handed her the list of souls needing to be introduced to the Astral Plane and there was four people listed all at the same time.

"It's not a long list, but if I know you as well as I think I do, you're going to want to take your time on these." Lup looked at him oddly, but he didn't explain and instead disappeared, probably to a fancy restaurant, or maybe just Taako's house.

Lup looked down at the list and noticed that the time of their introduction was soon, so she teleported to the entrance to the Astral Plane and she didn't have to wait long for them, but her heart sank as soon as she saw them. It was a group of tiefling children, the oldest one was barely 8 and the youngest one was held in the arms of another, because she was far to young to walk. The oldest one was holding her arms out in front of the other children, attempting to protect them from whatever fate had befallen them. Lup put her sycthe away and summoned a friendly face as she looked down at the names. "Ideal, Erros, Kymong, and Hope. My name is Lup. Welcome to the Astral Plane." The children in front of her turned to her, terrified. The oldest one took a step forward and blinked a few times.

"You're one of the seven birds." She had pale, red-tinted skin and small spiral horns, her eyes were black and even though she tried to seem tough, she was shaking slightly. "My grandma used to tell me stories about you. You saved her from the Invisible Enemy." The child holding the youngest of the group gasped.

"You're Lup! My brother told me about how you and the rest of the birds went on a 100 year journey and how you now protect the world. I thought you were a myth." This child looked to be only around 6. He was dark in his coloring, except for his bright red eyes. His horns went straight up and she could hear his tail swishing in fear. The remaining child clung to the pant leg of the dark child, he was small even for his age, and she guessed that he hadn't been fed in many months. He had skin as red as blood, pure white eyes, and small stubby horns, his tail had not grown in yet.

"My reputation proceeds me. I'm sad that we have to meet this way though." The oldest child, who the list now showed to be Ideal, looked at her with sudden understanding.

"We're dead aren't we?" Lup nodded and the red child, who she now knew was Erros, began to cry, even though he made no noise. Ideal looked stricken, and Lup could tell that she was blaming herself.

Then Lup got an idea. "You have all fought enough. It's time for you to rest. The world was not ready to have warriors and leaders such as yourselves out in that world." Kymony, the dark child, looked up at her confused. "I am impressed by the strength in all of you. You survived an impossible situation and still had time to care for others. That is something truly remarkable." She motioned to Hope, cradled in Kymong's arms. "You all protected her until the very very end. She was the youngest of you all and yet, she died last. Ideal, you were in hiding. You didn't have to reveal yourself to save Erros from those militia men, but you did and you saved his life. He almost came to meet us much sooner." Ideal bent her head. "Kymong, you gave your brother time to run and were caught in his place, but you didn't let that make you hateful. Instead you became the big brother to Erros and Hope and protection they needed to the very end." Kymong smiled and Lup smiled back. "Erros, you never thought you knew what it was like to have a family, but you had one all along. You skipped many meals to help feed the dying man in the cell next to you." She bent down and wiped the tear from Erros's eye. "You saved his life and many more, he now protects those who cannot protect themselves in your name." She stood back up and looked at all of them. They were all still small and frail, but a fire had entered their eyes and she knew she had done the right thing. "Now, I think all of you have someone waiting for you."

She turned back to Ideal. "Come with me." She led her off from the group and to a small clearing with a lake and a small waterfall. Ideal gasped and the elderly woman sitting at the edge of the lake looked up, she looked very similar to Ideal and her face dropped to a smile as soon as she saw her. Ideal sprinted off to her grandmother, tears flying out of her eyes as Lup watched with a heavy heart.

She walked back to the main group and looked at Erros. "It's your turn." She held her hand out, and Erros let go of Kymong's pant leg to grab her hand, she led him to a small brick house, a woman was sitting on the front porch, knitting what looked like a blanket. Erros took a tentative step forward and a crunch of leaves alerted the woman on the porch. She looked up and her eyes shown white in the soft gloom of the Astral Plane. Her eyes landed on Erros and she immediately threw her knitting towards to side and ran to him, scooping him up in her arms as soon as she reached him.

"Erros, my baby, my sweet baby boy. I'm sorry I'm so sorry." Erros just clung to this woman, his mother as she hugged him tightly against her chest and walked back to the house, a male tiefling coming out of the house and running to hug them both. "Voyage, it's him. It's really him. And he recognizes me still." Lup watched a the family reunited at last and then went back to the main group, Kymong and Hope were left.

She smiled at Kymong. "He's been causing a lot of trouble trying to get to you. Hopefully your presence here will finally calm him down." She held her arms out for Hope as she spoke. Kymong looked confused as he handed her Hope, but as soon as the baby was out of his arms, a larger tiefling with the exact same coloring as him barreled into him.

"KY!!!!" Kymong's face lit up as he recognized his brother and they wrestled for a few moments before the hugged each other tightly and Kymong insisted that his brother tell him about everything he had experienced. Lup walked away as they began to talk, holding Hope close to her chest. Hope had no one waiting for her here. Both of her parents were still alive and neither wanted anything to do with her. Ideal had named her.

Lup reached her bedroom in the Astral Plane before she realized what she was doing. She looked down into Hope's face and Hope smiled at her, Lup couldn't help but smile back. "Hello Hope. I think that there are some strings that I can pull to make it so that you can have a much better life here." A knock sounded on her door, and she knew who it was. She opened the door with Hope behind her back but Barry just cocked his eyebrow at her as she smiled inconspicuously.

"What did you steal from Kravitz this time?" Lup sheepishly brought Hope from behind her back and Barry gasped. "Lup! Why didn't you give her, is it a her?" Lup nodded. "Why didn't you give her to her parents or another relative?" Lup looked down at Hope and then back at Barry. 

"None of them want her Bear. Look, don't you think we can strike a bargain with the Raven Queen? She likes us a lot, I'm sure she'd let us keep her." Barry still looked like he wasn't into the idea so Lup held Hope out to him. "Just hold her, for a second." Barry reluctantly took her and she immediately started babbling and smiling. Barry's face immediately softened and Lup knew she had won. 

"Okay. We can talk to the Raven Queen about raising her."

**Author's Note:**

> These motherfuckers can teleport. Prove me wrong.
> 
> Also, the baby's name becomes Hope Bluejeans and that makes my heart happy.


End file.
